Teaching for Diversity

Dr Gill Cooke 15 February 2013

HEA STEM Workshop for Postgraduates who Teach

To introduce you to your students – diversity of engineering students;

To reflect on how your teaching might accommodate students’ needs and help promote learning inclusively.

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Aim of this session

Diversity - “the state or quality of being different or varied”

Collins Concise Dictionary 1999

In pairs, jot down some ideas about who you think your students are. What will they have in common? How will they be different?

Join another pair – have you got the same ideas?

Be prepared to report to the whole group. 3

Who are my students?

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Diversity

ReligionAbilityAttention spanPersonal circumstancesEducational historyLearning styles Learning preferencesMoodRaceLanguageState of health

SexualityAspirationsAreas of interestAgeEmployment statusGenderCultureDisabilities Learning difficultiesExpectationsPrior knowledge 

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Student facts: disability (7%)HESA 2010/11 Heidi data

Gener

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Chem

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Miner

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Civil

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Elec

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Mecha

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100% Other disability

Blind or a serious visual impairment uncor-rected by glasses

Deaf or a serious hearing impairment

A physical impairment or mobility issues

A mental health condition

A long standing illness or health condition

A social/communication impairment

A specific learning difficulty

Two or more impairments and/or disabling medical conditions

An unseen disability

Autistic spectrum disorder

Mental health difficulties

Personal care support

Wheelchair user/mobility difficulties

Deaf/hearing impairment

Blind/partially sighted

A specific learning difficulty eg. dyslexia

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Student facts: genderHESA 2010/11 Heidi data

Gener

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Chem

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Civil

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Elec

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0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

% Male% Female

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Student facts: ethnicityHESA 2010/11 Heidi data

Gener

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Chem

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Miner

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etal

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Civil

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Elec

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Not known

Other (including mixed)

Other Asian background

Chinese

Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani

Asian or Asian British - Indian

Other Black background

Black or Black British - African

Black or Black British - Caribbean

White

Professional Values

V1 Respect individual learners and diverse learning communities

V2 Promote participation in higher education and equality of

opportunity for learners

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UK Professional Standards Framework

… one where all students’ entitlement to access and participate in a course is anticipated, acknowledged and taken into account. Croucher and Romer’s definition states that an inclusive approach:

… does not place groups in opposition to each other. It respects diversity but does not imply a lack of commonality; it supports the concept of widening participation, but does not imply an externally imposed value judgment; it values equality of opportunity, but encourages all to feel that this relates to them, and that the issues are not just projected as being relevant to groups more commonly defined as disenfranchised, and translated into universities’ targets for equality.

(Croucher and Romer, 2007: 3) 9

An inclusive curriculum is . . .

Tackling isolation through effective induction – sense of belonging

Mathematics for engineering students

Increasing access to laboratory and practical work, consider assessment methods

Developing intercultural competence and understanding:— identifying subject-specific terminology and specialist language and providing glossaries and background reading;

— responding to cultural expectations about student participation;

— devising ground rules for different situations such as seminars and group work;

— staff joining groups to model active participation self-directed projects;

— sharing common difficulties and strategies for overcoming them;

— explaining the rationale and benefits of self-directed projects (Bond and Scudamore, 2010).

Responding to different learning approaches by using technology

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/inclusion/disability/ICD_engineering.pdf

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Engineering specific considerations

Increasing student engagement and assessment in laboratory work

Enabling students to solve problems and apply theory using case studies

Increasing curriculum relevance through multi-disciplinary collaboration

Preparing future professionals to work ethically with end users

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/inclusion/disability/ICD_materials.pdf

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Materials Specific considerations

In small groups (4-5) review the subject specific considerations for inclusivity.

Reflect on your own organisation and discuss with the group one approach it uses for encouraging inclusivity.

Select the most innovative practice to report to the whole group.

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Existing Inclusive Practice Discussion

Effective practice for one group can and should be effective practice for all:

• embedding student and staff well-being;

• promoting student engagement;

• use of technology to enhance learning;

• responding to different approaches to learning;

• avoiding stereotypes and celebrating diversity;

• making reasonable adjustments

Nurture a culture of belonging in academic and social community

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General Considerations

Teaching diverse students inclusively means:

• Using a variety of examples to illustrate ideas;

• Remembering that students of different ages, backgrounds and cultures might not know the same things that you do or hold the same values;

• Being aware of students’ prior learning.

For example, language could be addressed by:

glossary; explaining new terms/acronyms as used; explain idiomatic language; plan sessions to allow pre-class reading time; students select articles to analyse in class

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Inclusive Practice - suggestions

Reflect and consider your own teaching practices:

Can I improve my inclusive practice?

In pairs, share your ideas. Can you help each other?

Join another pair and compare your ideas.

Be prepared to share one suggestion with the group 15

How can I change my teaching to reflect diversity?

Understand inclusion is a shared responsibility

Be proactive and seek advice/information

Routinely consider inclusion in your practice

Work in partnership with other services

Work with students as partners and change agents

Participate in CPD activities

Recognise inclusion is incremental and ongoing

Review and alter the language you use

Reflect on any personal prejudices and assumptions

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Creating an Inclusive Culture

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/inclusion/Disability/Inclusive_curriculum_design_in_higher_education

 

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/internationalisation/RachelScudamoreReportFeb2013.pdf

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/teaching-international-students

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/internationalisation/ISL_Intercultural_Competences

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References and Further Information